Before and after plain packaging - cigarette packaging in Australia. Image courtesy of Quit Victoria, 2012

On 28 June 2018, the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel hearing the legal challenge to Australia’s tobacco plain packaging laws issued a decision in favour of Australia, dismissing all claims brought by Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Indonesia against the measure. The panel found that tobacco plain packaging was not more trade restrictive than necessary to protect public health, and that it did not infringe any obligations relating to the protection of intellectual property. The panel decision is a major victory for public health, and has important implications for legal challenges to tobacco plain packaging and other tobacco control measures in both domestic and international courts.

The McCabe Centre's mission is to promote the effective use of law for the prevention and control of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases by building knowledge, expertise, capacity and networks at global, regional and domestic levels